Garlic & Gouda: A match made in heaven.
Did you know humans have been making mac n’ cheese for hundreds of years now. In fact, one the oldest recipes, dating back to the 14th century, instructs you to:
“take and make a thynne foyle of dowh. and kerve it on peces, and cast hem on boillyng water & seeþ it wele. take chese and grate it and butter cast bynethen and above as losyns. and serue forth.”
Crazy right? Anyway, I took some liberties with that old English recipe.
Throw out the blue box and get ready to make a cheesy, garlicy mess of goodness.
Time You’ll Need
- 15 prep
- ~20-25 minutes to cook, bake
- Yields: ~4-6 servings
What You’ll Need
- 24 oz. of elbow macaroni pasta or shells, or Cavatappi pasta
- ~2-3 tbsp garlic paste
- 2 cups shredded smoked gouda
- 3 cups sharp white cheddar cheese
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- Salt & fresh ground black pepper & red pepper to taste
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 cup of Buttermilk
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 1/4 cup Flour
- 1 cup of bread crumbs or smashed croutons
What You’ll Do
- Preheat oven to 375.
- In a medium pot, halfway with water, a dash of salt, and 2 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook the pasta (generally following the instructions on the pasta box/package but keep in mind, we’ll be baking the pasta, so you definitely don’t want to overcook it so maybe take a minute or two off the instructions on your pasta package).
- In a skillet or saucepan, melt the butter over a medium-low heat. Whisk in flour, stirring until it forms a nice, lightly brown paste.
- Whisk in the garlic paste until even with mixture.
- Add the milk to the skillet, whisking in slowly.
- Repeat with buttermilk.
- Season with salt, pepper, & red pepper. Continue whisking until sauce thickens and starts to bubble a bit.
- Slowly sprinkle in cheese. Stir it in in small portions, only adding more once the initial portion of cheese has melted/blended evenly into the sauce.
- Turn heat to a small simmer once all the cheese has been added.
- Drain and dry your pasta. Then add pasta to the sauce.
- Mix pasta and sauce evenly, then add to a greased baking dish. If you have any leftover cheese, sprinkle it over the top of the pasta. Then add your bread crumbs. Season once more with salt, pepper, & red pepper.
- Bake in oven for about 15 minutes till browned. You can use the broiler to get a quick, golden brown crust.
- Serve and enjoy!